Como Neighborhood Sues General Mills Over TCE

MINNEAPOLIS (WCCO) — A Minneapolis neighborhood is taking on General Mills in two class-action lawsuits.

Residents in the Como neighborhood of Minneapolis say chemicals dumped years ago at an old General Mills research facility near their homes lowers property values and puts their health at risk.

People living in the Como area say it’s unfair for them to live in these conditions, since prolonged exposure to such chemicals has been linked to higher risks of cancer and other health problems.

Results have been published for 26 of about 200 homes in this area just southwest of the old General Mills facility. Seventeen have turned up with higher than acceptable levels of the chemical. Several other properties have been tested but some results are not yet released.

That facility is where trichloroethene (TCE) was dumped decades ago and filtered into the groundwater and soil.

Since then General Mills has made cleanup efforts. The company hired contractors to install ventilation systems and pumped to remove the chemical from the groundwater and the city water supply. Those efforts some residents don’t feel were enough.

The Minnesota Department of Health said it is not aware of any disease clusters in the area but are still looking into cancer rates.

General Mills said in a statement it does not comment on pending litigation.

Nina Moini joined the WCCO-TV team in August of 2013. She reports on a wide range of topics during weekdays and weekend nights. Nina grew up right here in Apple Valley (GO Eastview Lightning!), but was born in Denmark to Iranian parents who moved to...